One more year? Decision looms for K-State quarterback Skylar Thompson after injury
One more year.
Those are three words that Kansas State football fans hoped to chant at Skylar Thompson during the final game of his senior season with the Wildcats, ideally this December with an exclamation point tacked on at the end.
Instead, they are now whispering those words to each other on a random Monday in October with a gigantic question mark attached.
In any other year, a season-ending injury like the one Thompson suffered earlier this month would have also brought a conclusion to his career as a college quarterback.
But this is no normal year.
Shortly after K-State coach Chris Klieman announced that Thompson was done for the season with an “upper-body injury” on Monday, many fans began to wonder if they might see him throw more passes in a K-State uniform next season. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, this season doesn’t count against the eligibility of any college football player, meaning seniors like Thompson can choose to return to school and play on.
One more year?
A fascinating decision looms for Thompson, a fifth-year senior from Fort Osage High in Independence, Mo. After he recovers from surgery and is cleared to return to the football field, should he do so as a veteran with the Wildcats? Should he try to make a run at the NFL? Or should he take an entirely different path?
It’s far too early to know Thompson’s intentions. Like many other college seniors, he has said he will wait to consider his options. Klieman has also said he won’t have those conversations with seniors until this season is over. There’s no rush to decide anything right now.
But Thompson suddenly has time to consider his options. And his decision could make a big impact on the outlook of K-State’s offense in 2021.
If he chooses to return, the Wildcats will have an entertaining three-headed competition for the starting quarterback job between Thompson, freshman Will Howard and incoming recruit Jake Rubley.
Thompson threw for 626 yards and four touchdowns while playing in just three games this season. He entered the year as one of the most veteran K-State quarterbacks in school history after starting games as far back as 2017, when he was a redshirt freshman.
He is one of the few players in program history to have thrown for 5,000 yards and rushed for 1,000 yards during his career. And he is the only quarterback in school history that has defeated three top 10 teams as a starter.
The Wildcats would welcome back his experience and leadership next season. But there is no doubt that K-State coaches are also excited about the young talent they have under center.
Howard guided the Wildcats to victories over Texas Tech and TCU after Thompson went down with an injury early on against the Red Raiders and watched the rest of the game with his right arm in a sling. His numbers (314 yards and one touchdown passing, 93 yards and one touchdown rushing) leave something to be desired, but Howard is the only true freshman in school history to win his first road start. His teammates also have confidence him and he should develop as the season progresses.
Rubley is a four-star recruit that chose K-State over schools like LSU, Iowa and Michigan. He might be one of the most talented quarterbacks the Wildcats have ever landed. It’s a good bet he will be a factor into the mix immediately.
The most natural way to settle things was for Thompson to go out with a strong season this year and then move on, leaving Howard and Rubley to carry the torch next year. Most expected things to play out that way, especially when Thompson helped the Wildcats beat Oklahoma last month.
But now that Thompson will be missing the majority of his senior season with an unfortunate injury, perhaps he will seriously consider returning for another year. So what if it means delaying the progress of two promising young passers?
K-State fans will anxiously await his decision.
Nothing like this has happened before.
This story was originally published October 12, 2020 at 2:56 PM with the headline "One more year? Decision looms for K-State quarterback Skylar Thompson after injury."